The CyanogenMod team recently released the latest RC5 build of CyanogenMod 10.1 (CM10.1) custom ROM for a spate of Android devices including Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (P5100 and P5110). The CM10.1 RC5 ROM is based on Android Open Source Project (AOSP) release and offers the latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean features with better performance and stability than stock variants. The CyanogenMod RC builds are known to be highly stable and safe for daily use.

NOTE: Instructions provided in this guide are meant for reference purpose only. IBTimes UK will not be held responsible if the device is damaged or bricked during or after firmware installation. Users are advised to proceed at their own risk.

Pre-Requisites

The CyanogenMod 10.1 RC5 ROM works on Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 P5100/P5110 (Wi-Fi) model only. Installing this firmware on incompatible variants might brick the device. So, verify the model number of the device by navigating to Settings > About Phone.

Verify that the tablet is rooted with ClockworkMod (CWM) recovery installed on it.

After installing the ROM, if the device is stuck at Booting animation or experiences boot loop issues, then perform wipe cache partition and wipe dalvik cache a few more times before rebooting.

Allow the newly installed ROM to stabilise for five minutes after first boot, before you start working.

If Status 7 error appears on screen, it could be due to a wrong device being flashed or a necessary kernel might be missing (for instance, a Jelly Bean kernel must be installed before installing the Jelly Bean ROM)

Step 4: Power off the tablet and disconnect its USB cable from computer, after the file transfer process completes.

Step 5: Boot the tablet into ClockworkMod recovery. To do so, press and hold Volume Up and Power buttons together until the Samsung logo appears on screen. Then release the Power button but keep the Volume Up button pressed for a few more seconds to enter CWM recovery. NOTE: Use Volume keys to navigate between options and Power key to select an option in recovery.

Step 6: Perform a Nandroid backup of your existing ROM so that it can be restored later if the new ROM fails to work or you want to return to original ROM. To take a backup, choose Backup and Restore and then hit Backup on next screen. Return to main recovery menu once backup is complete.

Step 7: Do a full data wiping task to eliminate conflicts between newly installed ROM and previous ROM. To do so, first click Wipe Data/Factory Reset, then choose Yes on next screen to confirm. Wait for a few minutes until the data wipe process completes. Then return to CWM recovery main menu and choose Wipe Cache Partition. Wait until the process completes and then select Wipe Dalvik Cache under advance option. Once the entire data wiping task completes, proceed to the next step.

Step 8: Choose Install Zip from SD card and then click Choose Zip from SD card. Now, browse to the cm-10.1.0-RC5-p5100.zip or cm-10.1.0-RC5-p5110.zip file that you copied earlier in Step 3 and select it by tapping Power button. Confirm the ROM installation on next screen and soon the installation process will begin.

Step 10: Once both the ROM and Google Apps are installed, return to the main recovery menu and hit Reboot System Now. The tablet will now boot into the newly installed ROM. But, the first boot may take about 5 to 15 minutes to complete. So, please be patient and do not interrupt the process.

Returning to Previous ROM: To return to your previous ROM: boot into Recovery, choose Backup and Restore then restore your previous ROM by choosing it from the list.

The Galaxy Tab 2 P5100/P5110 is now powered by Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean based CyanogenMod 10.1 RC5 ROM. Go to Settings > About Tablet to verify the firmware installed.